THE SPIREFirst United Methodist Church

132nd Year of Ministry

photo by Louis Keeling

First

United

Methodist

Church

in

Pratt, KS

September 2018Newsletter

September 2018THE SPIREPastor’s Thoughts

Back to School Time of the YearBack to school, back to school, back to school…those words are everywhere

this time of year. And I want to wish all the students and teachers returning to class-

rooms a very wonderful school year!

I didn’t start on my college and seminary degrees until I became a pastor at the

age of 37. So my classroom days are not so long ago that I don’t remember all the

studying and paper writing that went along with obtaining them. It was hard work,

and I’m glad my classroom days are over! I have obtained my degrees and I have

been ordained, so no more learning for me, right? Wrong!

I may no longer be a student, but I am a follower of Christ. And for followers of Christ, learning

and growing in the knowledge and love of God is a lifetime process. If we ever think we’re done learning

and growing, we better think again.

I read at least a dozen books a year. Many of them are novels because I just love to get lost in a

good story. But I make sure I include at least two or three books a year in my reading that help me to con-

tinue to learn and grow in my knowledge and love of God. I attend ministry conferences and workshops,

even some that I am not required to attend. And I read my Bible and other devotional readings almost every

day.

So even if you’re not returning to a classroom, this back to school time of year is a good time to ask

yourself, what are you doing to learn and grow in the knowledge and love of God? If your answer is that

you are attending church every Sunday, that’s great, but it’s not enough. We all need to be learning and

growing in addition to worshipping.

If reading’s not your thing, how about a small group learning experience, like a Sunday School class or

a Bible study? What about a video, or a show on television about Biblical history or the teachings of Christ,

or the letters of the Apostle Paul? What about quiet time alone, learning and growing with God in God’s

Word?

If you ask yourself the above question, and you have at least one or two things with which to an-

swer, that is awesome. Tell somebody what you are doing and how it affects your life. It may affect their

life, as well.

If you ask yourself the above question, and the answer is “nothing,” the next question is, “What are

you going to do about it?”

Grace and peace,

Pastor Marvin

September 2018THE SPIREYouth News

YOUTH NEWSSeptember 2018

Kelli Barker

September 2018THE SPIREJAM

Spreading the J A M....

Children up to 4th gradeNEW TIME 4:00PM -5:00PM Wednesday nights!!!!

I am so excited and can hardly wait - JAM (Jesus and Me) will be starting up right after Labor Day

on September 5th. The biggest change this year is the meeting time. We will now meet Wednesdays from

4:00pm to 5:00pm. Parents, this will mean we need to communicate about transportation. If there are seats

available in cars that are already coming to the church, think about carpooling with others that might need

a ride. I am lining up several members that will transport kids if we need more seats.

Next change is that Jane Biles will be joining the JAM team for singing each week. She will be

teaching some praise music that we will be able to share on Sunday mornings as well as direct our

Christmas play.

We will be doing a rotation schedule similar to last year. The time change means that we have more

of the church and grounds to spread out in. There will be more information when we get closer to our start

date.

Come and join us as we spread the JAM...

Sherri Ewertt

620-314-8473

Jesus and Me

September 2018THE SPIREChurch Activities

September 8 at 7:00 a.m.

in Fellowship Hall

Breakfast, Devotions, Discussion, and Fellowship

Men of Faith

Seeking a Master’s of Divinity? ThePrattFirstUnitedMethodistChurchEndowmentCommitteewouldliketohelpyoufinancially

in reaching this goal. This committee is very aware of the need for additional ministers in our Great Plains

Conference and of the cost of seminary education. Each year this committee places funds in a Seminary

Scholarship. This fund continues to grow until a member of our church makes the committee aware that

theyareinseminaryandrequestsfundstohelpthem.Apersoninterestedshouldcontactthechurchoffice

at(620)672-6473.Pleaseleaveyourname,phonenumberandaddress.TheofficewillnotifyNancy

Kerr, Chair of the Endowment Committee.

The Endowment Committee was pleased to award the Seminary Scholarship to Chelsea Shrack

while she attended Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. She received the Mas-

ter of Divinity Degree and has returned to the Great Plains Conference serving K-State Wesley as campus

pastor since July 1, 2017.

The Women’s Bible Study will meet on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.

in the Heritage Room starting on September 5.

We will study Parables from the Back Side by J. Ellsworth Kalas. The book offers a new understanding of twelve of Jesus’ parables by viewing them through the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. We will cover 12 parables. Contact Peggy Ellison 620 770 0469.

September 2018THE SPIREUMW

Christmas Eve

Candlelight Services

United Methodist Women Let the learning begin! The hustle and bustle of getting a youngster prepared for school is no easy

task. No matter what age your children are, the list of supplies, enrollment, parent meetings and party

signupsseemendless.ItisatruejoytoseetheexcitementofachildgoingtoKindergartenforthefirst

time. They are truly ready for learning challenges and anxious to make as many friends as they possibly

can.

Sunday School is the perfect way to prepare a child, or even an adult, for a learning environment.

Even though at my age I no longer have school age children to tend to, I enjoy attending Sunday School

to learn more about the teachings of Christ. It’s never too late to learn how to walk with God. As parents

send their children back for continued education and we strive to gain a greater relationship with God, I

pray that our Father protects us and keeps us safe.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and

training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all

things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Betty Eubank

UMW Executive President

September 2018THE SPIRECircles

Circles of HopeServing Circles in Two Ways

Circles of Hope continues to be thankful to First United Methodist Church for allowing us use of Fellowship Hall and the kitchen for our weekly meetings. Our folks appreciate the space and the food very much!

There are families in our community that worry about how to pay their monthly bills or how to cover the cost of groceries this month. This is not out of laziness or lack of jobs. Many of the Circle Leaders we work with have two jobs, trying to make ends meet. Circles of Hope is a free program designed to help people live 200% above the poverty level and become economically stable. We do this by working with individuals and families who WANT to work with us.

Right now we are seeking new participants for our new class, beginning September 10th. This program provides twelve weeks of training in budgeting, goal setting, how to interview, and more. After the initial 12 weeks, folks are invited to continue on for 18 months. If they continue, they are matched with two people in the community who want to help our participants achieve their goals and to encourage them along the way. There will be educational offerings on time management, stretching your food dollar, setting goals, and more.

Each weekly meeting begins with a free meal prepared for Circles of Hope by a family, church or organization here in Pratt. This is a great service to those who are unable to get home to eat after work before the Monday night meetings. It’s also a chance for the cooks to meet people they may never have a chance to meet otherwise. Children come, too! We provide free childcare while parents are learning new things. The kids come hungry with hearty appetites!

If you know someone who is ready to make a change in their life, please have them call the Hope Center at 620.933.2166. Our next class begins September 10, so have them call soon to set up an interview. We want to hear from them!

And if you delight in cooking a healthy meal, helping others and enjoy meeting new people, Circles of Hope, Pratt County can help you achieve all three! Preparing meals for Circles is a great service and greatly appreciated. If feeding hungry folks so they can learn sounds like something meaningful you would like to do, please contact RuthAnn Barker at 620.770.2540. RuthAnn is working toward having enough families and groups to provide meals, so they are asked only two or three times a year.

Thank you in advance for considering Circles of Hope, either by sharing the program withsomeoneitwouldbenefitorbyprayingabout your possible role as a cook for Circles!

With you in God’s holy embrace, Rev. (retired) Billie Blair, Circles Coordinator

September 2018THE SPIREChurch Activities

will begin on Friday, $5 for each child

Bring a sack lunch (finger foods)

Wednesday Night Activities Resume September 5Join us for Snack Supper —Bring the family

Fresh Off the Grill

September 7th from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

WANTED­—Hand Bell RingersIf you have ever wanted to be a part of the music in our church, you are invited to attendourfirstpracticeoftheseasononTuesday,September11,at5:00p.m.inthe Sanctuary.We meet once a week and play for the congregation a few times a year. Hopefully, playing the hand bells to provide beautiful music will be a way some of you can serve our church.If you have any questions you can contact Jane Biles, janebiles@cox.net, 620-770-0758.

September 2018THE SPIREFall Festival

Preparing slabs to be stained

September Anniversaries

September 2 Nancy Neelly September 2 Owen Wilson September 3 Michelle Mardis September 3 Rachel Mardis September 3 Stacey Mardis September 3 Dorothy Trinkle September 4 David Ellison September 4 Payton Hoeme September 4 Laura Kendall September 4 Tyler Reimer September 5 Adison Hampton September 7 Kelli Barker September 7 Raymond Thome September 8 Robert Smiley September 8 Ani Uphoff September 9 Barbara Prater

September 9 Brenda Riffey September 10 Rachel Fowler September 10 Jonathan Reimer September 11 Bryan Bailey September 11 Brian Moore September 12 Avery Blasi September 12 Whitney Briggeman September 12 Tyra Swinney September 13 Tyleigh Rose Adelhardt September 14 Diane Rea September 14 Barbara Sangster September 15 Brooks Wilson September 17 Kyler Barker September 17 Austin Black September 19 Larry Belcher September 20 Eva Riffey

September 21 Jack Barker September 21 Danielle Demuth September 21 Karen Pinkall September 22 Mason Jones September 23 Richard Smith September 24 Marge Gillig September 25 William Keller September 25 Clayton Kessler September 26 Alison Peissig September 27 Rhett Kessler September 28 Kris Dover September 28 Flo Parsons September 29 Jaila Renner September 30 Kelsie Eck September 30 Dena Henke

September 2 Chuck & Linda Buchmueller September 2 Jerry & Karellen Larrison September 6 Mike & Becky McFall September 6 Richard & Karen SmithSeptember 17 Scott & Tonya YounieSeptember 20 Scott & Kristi NicholsonSeptember 30 James & Makala Fitzsimmons

September Birthdays

September 2018THE SPIREBithdays/Anniversaries

Thank you to our church and community friends for your presence and the beautiful cards in honor of our 50th Wedding Anniversary.Ken and Annette Van Blarcium

Thank You

To all the wonderful people in our church,Thankyousomuchforcelebratingwithmeonmy100thbirthday.Yourpresence,cards,flowers,andcaring thoughts really touched my heart.I’ve lived over half of my long life in Pratt as a member of Pratt UMC, and feel so blessed to have had that connection with God and each of you.Sincerely, Mildred Riley

If you have something that you would like to put in The Spire, please email Jane Bolen jane.bolen@yahoo.com or call her at 620 770-2110

by the 20th of the month before the next Spire.

September Calendar

Weekly EventsSunday Service Times

Worship/Fellowship Hall at 8:15 a.m.Worship/Sanctuary at 10:30 a.m.

Join us for Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.

MondaysQuilters 9:30 a.m.Monday Morning Moms 10:00 a.m.

WednesdaysLadies’ Prayer Group 7:00 a.m.Ladies Bible Study 10:00 a.m.J.A.M. 4:00 p.m.Puppets 4:15 p.m.Snack Supper 5:00 p.m.Ladies’ Bible Study 6:00 p.m.Men’s Bible Study 6:00 p.m.Youth Group (Middle School) 6:00 p.m.Praise Band 6:30 p.m.Youth Group (High School) 7:15 p.m.

FridaysMom’s Day Out 10:00 a.m.

Weekly Events

September 2018THE SPIREMission/Important Dates

LaborDay,thefirstMondayinSeptember,isacreationofthelabormovement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

September 3ChurchOfficeClosed

Sunday, September 9One Service at 10:30 a.m. Followed by a Potluck Dinner

Wednesday, October 3 — No J.A.M.

September 2018THE SPIRENews/Staff

StaffPastor...............................................Marvin EwerttBusiness Manager .................... Jacqueline JohnsonFacilities Coordinator ....................... Louis KeelingYouth Director ..................................... Kelli BarkerAudio/Video Coordinator ...................Sherri EwerttOrganist/Pianist .......................................Jane BilesPraise Band Director ............................ Don BuhlerNursery ...........................................Georgie Fowler

Phone: (620) 672-6473Pastor Marvin’s cell (316) 655-1716email: jjohnson@prattumc.orgWeb site: www.prattumc.org

First United Methodist ChurchThe Spire

P. O. Box 316100 N. JacksonPratt, KS 67124

OfficeHours: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

You may pick up your copy of The Spire at the church. If you wish to have your

name added to the email list, please advise Jacqueline

jjohnson@prattumc.org or Jane Bolen

jane.bolen@yahoo.com of your address.

Recycle at FUMCREDUCE, REUSE,

RECYCLE, REJOICE!